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Chris Carling
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Chris Carling
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But Then Something Happened :A Story of Everyday Dementia

4.11 ( 9 Ratings by Goodreads)
But Then Something Happened

But Then Something Happened :A Story of Everyday Dementia

(Author)
4.11 (9 Ratings by Goodreads)
paperback
Published: 30 June, 2012

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List price : $14.73

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Description

When dementia hits a family they embark on an emotional journey. Destination unknown. 'BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED: A Story of Everyday Dementia' takes us on that emotional journey. Mum, Dad and two very grown up kids. An ordinary family hit hard by dementia. Mum and Dad both fall victim. Different kinds of dementia. Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. Different effects. Daughter, Chris, tells the story, falling into the role of the responsible adult in the family, everyone muddling along in a state of denial until one day 'something happens': a series of crises that lay bare the reality that both parents are losing their minds. How Mum and Dad become Mary and Fred, a couple nearing the end of a long love story. How feelings survive even as minds fail. How Chris takes on the role of go-between to help Mary and Fred sustain their marriage. How a love story can continue even in the Dementia Unit of a residential home. Even to the day Mary and Fred celebrate their Platinum Wedding Anniversary. Warm, intimate, honest and intensely human: depicting dementia not as a tragedy but as a phase of life lived by both sufferers and carers. Laughter as well as tears as the disease plays out day-to-day. One highly original chapter includes 'Ten scenes of joy and sadness' written as mini-dramas to illustrate how emotions can remain intact as dementia takes its course. The memoir is in two parts. In part One Chris tells the dramatic family story while Part Two is more reflective, a chance to stand back and ask questions such as why did we not see all this coming? The final chapter 'Learning from dementia: losses and (a few) gains' gives a lay person's experience of dementia in rich detail. Readers' comments include: 'Highly moving'; 'Written with great compassion and insight'; 'I could completely identify. It helped me a lot'.
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Type Book
ISBN13 9780957307902
ISBN10 095730790X
Number Of Pages 240
Item Weight 343 g
Product Dimensions 156 x 234 x 12 mm
Publisher / Reseller Golden Books
Format paperback
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Media Reviews

'A wonderful book, beautifully written and a brilliant insight into so many facets of human life and how to cope with things. I have learnt so much about dementia.' Sian Livsey 'Written with great compassion and insight' Monique Turpin 'Chris describes herself as an 'amateur carer', yet in her book she covers every aspect of all that dementia can throw up. After she's told her story she outlines 'Ten life lessons from living with dementia', an exemplary text and guide and essential reading for all the professions involved. I highly recommend this book.' Sue Heiser, Journal of Dementia Care. 'The account is deeply insightful and always honest, sometimes criticising the insensitivity of doctors and others but also giving praise where it is due. The book will be helpful to anyone caring for a relative with dementia and also to all clinical and care staff who comes into contact with people with dementia, especially those in hospital and general practice.' John Wattis, Journal of Mental Health Nursing.

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Author's Bio

As well as being a carer, Chris Carling has had a varied career as a university lecturer, scriptwriter of award-winning training films, communications consultant, trainer, feature writer and most recently personal, business and career coach. Co-author of two books on communication ('Understanding Language' and The Limitations of Language', both Macmillan) she has also produced feature articles for national newspapers and magazines, ebooks on Overcoming Anxiety and Work Life Balance (Pansophix) and a long-running personal growth newsletter, Present Perfect, archived on her website. She lives and works in Cambridge.

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